What is it, how does it work, and how do you do it?
Any reputable online casino will offer a number of tools to help you keep gambling in control, and self-exclusion – the ability to completely ban yourself from a casino – is a tool which can be used to help you completely stop gambling.
In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at what self-excluding is, how it works, and how you can do it yourself if you feel your gambling is getting a little out of control.
Self Exclusion: What Is It?
Self-excluding from an online casino means you won’t be able to play there at all.
It’s designed for problem gamblers who want a more heavy-handed approach to helping them stop gambling online.
Once you’ve self-excluded, you won’t be able to log into your account, make deposits, or gamble – there’s no exceptions.
How Does Self-Exclusion Work?
While every online casino has a slightly different approach to self-exclusion, most sites will offer self-exclusion directly from within your player-account area. (You can usually find it under a “Responsible Gambling” section.
You will then be asked to select the time-period you wish to be blocked from gambling for. Most casinos allow you to choose a time-period of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 5 years, and once you’ve confirmed that you wish to self-exclude, the block begins instantly.
Any money left in your casino account balance will be withdrawn to your desired payment method (if you’ve never made a withdrawal before, you may need to communicate with the casino team via email to arrange the withdrawal), and that’s it.
You won’t be able to log into your account until the time-period you set is up, and even then, you’ll need to contact the casino yourself to open your account, with most sites imposing a 24-hour cool off period before reopening previously self-excluded accounts.
Note: When you self-exclude from a casino, you’ll automatically be blocked from all the casino’s partner sites.
Is Self-Exclusion The Right Decision?
If you find yourself gambling more than you can afford…
If you find yourself frequently chasing losses, or losing control when you gamble…
If you find yourself taking out loans or using credit to gamble…
Then self-exclusion could be the right option for you. It’s worth noting that self-excluding from online casinos is quite a serious decision, and you will NOT – under any circumstances – be able to play at the casino until the time-period is up, so if you just want to take a short break instead, you may wish to consider taking a time-out instead.